Larry Carradine knew Marissa Flagg was a special player. But the Cardozo girls’ basketball coach found out how special Jan. 31 in the Judges’ first-round Queens Borough Championship game against Bayside.
Cardozo trailed ‘B’ division Bayside, 29-26 at the half, and without junior leader Leah Lipschitz, who was out nursing a knee injury, the Judges needed someone to step up.
Enter Flagg, who scored a game-high 25 points, added 6 assists and forced numerous turnovers in the second half en route to the Judges’ 58-47 victory.
“Her effort that day was extraordinary,” Carradine said. “That particular game stood out to me because she took the whole team on her shoulders. Without Leah, she had to do it.”
Flagg averaged 13.1 points, 6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game during the regular season, and the 5-foot-3 point guard, whose brother Nick Flagg is a standout on the Cardozo boys’ basketball team, was positively brilliant for Cardozo for much of the season.
Oh, did we mention the TimesLedger PSAL Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year is only a freshman?
“Never have I had a player come in and have as much of an impact as a freshman in all my years,” Carradine said. “Although she’s a freshman, she’s been playing ball for a number of years. Physically, she’s very gifted because she’s got tremendous athleticism.”
In case Carradine needed reinforcement of Flagg’s skills, his affirmation came in Cardozo’s second-round playoff game against Lincoln.
Trailing 34-17 at the half, Flagg ignited the biggest comeback in Carradine’s 20 years at Cardozo. She again scored 25 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and added 6 assists in a stirring 58-54 victory.
Flagg stepped up her play in the postseason, averaging 19 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
“She runs so quick, has great jumping ability and add to that her ability to be a very good ball handler. She’s an absolutely incredible competitor,” Carradine said. “She has this will to win. She has this tremendous confidence in herself on the court.”
If she continues to improve over the next three years, Flagg will certainly be a Division I prospect. And if she can add a consistent perimeter jump shot to her repertoire? Scary.
